There are spectacular scoring performances, and then there are games that demonstrate just how much control a superstar can have over every possession.
On Thursday night, Cade Cunningham delivered both. The Detroit Pistons guard erupted for a career-high 52 points, 11 assists and five rebounds, leading his team to a dramatic 144-140 double-overtime victory over the Washington Wizards.
But the most extraordinary number in his stat line wasn’t 52. It was zero.
Despite handling the basketball for much of his 48 minutes on the court, Cunningham finished the entire contest without committing a single turnover.
In doing so, the 25-year-old became the first player in NBA history to record at least 50 points and 10 assists without a turnover, dating back to when the league began officially tracking turnovers in 1977-78.
Not Michael Jordan. Not LeBron James. Not Luka Dončić or Nikola Jokić. Nobody had previously combined that level of scoring and playmaking with such remarkable ball security.
Cunningham also became the first player in Pistons franchise history to produce a 50-point, 10-assist game. And his efficiency was almost as impressive as the record itself. The former No. 1 overall pick shot 16-of-25 from the field, connected on three of his five three-point attempts and made 17 of 18 free throws.
CADE CUNNINGHAM: FIRST PLAYER TO RECORD 50+ POINTS, 10+ ASSISTS WITH ZERO TURNOVERS SINCE 1977-78!
🔥 52 POINTS (30 IN 4Q/OT/2OT)
🔥 11 ASSISTS
🔥 16-25 FGMDETROIT WINS A THRILLER IN 2OT. https://t.co/0iX0hF8kFj
— NBA (@NBA) November 13, 2026
He scored 30 of his 52 points during the fourth quarter and two overtime periods, repeatedly rescuing Detroit when Washington threatened to steal the game. The final minutes were chaotic.
After Cunningham scored 18 points in the fourth quarter, Trae Young buried a three-pointer at the regulation buzzer to force overtime. Washington then opened the first extra period with seven unanswered points, building a 128-121 advantage that appeared to put Detroit in serious trouble.
But Cunningham refused to let the game slip away. He orchestrated another comeback, helping the Pistons erase the deficit and force the Wizards into one more dramatic finish.
This time, rookie AJ Dybantsa delivered the heroics, hitting a last-second jumper to send the game into double overtime.
And that’s when Cunningham took complete control. He opened the second overtime with a three-pointer to reach the 50-point mark and give Detroit a lead it would never relinquish. With Washington still threatening in the closing seconds, Cunningham converted a difficult baseline jumper with 25.3 seconds remaining to extend the Pistons’ advantage to four.
It was the decisive basket of an extraordinary evening. Cunningham wasn’t the only Detroit player making history.
Ausar Thompson recorded his first career triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, while Daniss Jenkins contributed 21 points.
Washington, meanwhile, received remarkable performances from three players. Young finished with 37 points and 14 assists, while Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr each scored 30 points.
It was the first time the Wizards franchise had three players score at least 30 points in the same game since 1969, when the organization was still known as the Baltimore Bullets.
Yet even those performances weren’t enough to overcome Cunningham.
